Liens Rapides

This Regional Office was created in 1974 by a decision made in the AACC General Assembly held in Lusaka, Zambia.The Lome Regional Office was hosted from 1974 to 1978 by the Eglise Evangélique du Togo and then officially launched in 1978 when the Togolese government granted the office diplomatic status. Its raison d’être at the time of the launch was to facilitate a fluid and continuous flow of information between the Nairobi headquarters and West/Central Africa with a special focus on AACC’s francophone constituency, thus bringing the AACC closer to far-flung member churches.Reporting to the General Secretariat, the Regional Office hosts designated continental programme activities.

The AACC – AU story begun in earnest with the movement towards total liberation of Africa from the strong holds of colonial rule. There was great expectation and enthusiasm, at the time, for change in the continent, for dignity and for the unity of Africa.The Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which has since been transformed to the Africa Union (AU), was created in May 1963, while AACC was called to its mission in April 1963. From that time forward, the political and prophetic messages echoed across the continent, heralding the call of Nkrumah and Sir Francis Ibiam; “Africa must Unite’’!

Following the welcome change from the OAU to the AU in 2002, the AACC undertook an internal assessment resulting in a conscious decision to work closely with the AU.The AACC established the AU Liaison Office to enable African Churches and ecumenical partners to develop and sustain active, consistent, coherent and critical witness to Africa’s peace and security; to monitor issues of human rights, justice, democracy, good political governance and socio-economic development through active ecumenical accompaniment with the African Union and its related organs.The timely action taken by AACC in creating the office of the Ecumenical Envoy to the African Union is a significant political and diplomatic move, addressing the above objectives and justifying its activities.